In the summer of 2020, an update for the “Next Gen” update was announced for the MMORPG The Elder Scrolls Online (ESO), bringing graphical improvements on PS5 and Xbox Series X / S. It is now clear what the update will look like and when will it arrive.
When does the update appear? Zenimax Online has announced that this update, titled “Enhanced Console”, will be released on June 8th. Simultaneously with the release of the console version of Blackwood, the next major expansion of the MMORPG.
THAT is getting much prettier on PS5 and Xbox Series X / S
The update brings these changes: It is now clear how exactly ESO’s graphics will improve compared to the current version. You can expect these changes:
- 60 fps– Until now ESO performance was limited to 30 fps on Xbox One and PS4. Change. On Xbox Series X / S and PS5 you can play with the Enhanced Edition at 60 fps, which makes things much smoother. However, higher fps have other effects. A high frame rate even allows you to do more damage, as the example from Black Desert Online shows. This is due to the fact that players can react faster with a more fluid course of the game and that part of the animations can be canceled with higher frame rates. This will make the combos run faster and deal more damage to you.
- Increased Visibility– The update nearly doubles the viewing range so you can see more of the world of Tamriel. This is especially interesting for PvP. Because it has advantages to see the opponents in the distance. That is why it is also important in the PC version to set the visibility in the options as high as possible.
- Higher resolutiontextures – Textures appear more detailed and finer and are closer to the PC version. Everything is no longer as blurry and fuzzy as before.
- Optimized anti-aliasing– Flicker is reduced at the edges of leaves, grass and buildings, making objects appear sharper from a distance. Currently, it cannot be said how smoothing affects performance. Players may very well disable this option in quick PvP battles to get more fps.
- Enhanced reflections– Water and reflective surfaces get more pleasant reflections, which should increase detail as well as realism. It’s also conceivable that more detailed reflections make a difference in PvP, as opponents could be more easily identified based on their reflection in the water, for example.
- Enhanced shadows and surrounding darkening– Shadows have a higher resolution and appear sharper and thanks to the optimized surrounding darkening there is more detail in the shading.
- Improved Depth of Field– Game backgrounds should look more realistic and smoother when interacting with NPCs.
- Shorter load times– Due to the SSD hard drives in the PS5 and Xbox Series X / S, the load times should be significantly shorter. Zenimax assumes that they will even be cut in half. Until now, console gamers have had to wait several minutes before being able to leave their house or room into nature, for example. Players talk for 5-10 minutes here (via reddit). Even loading a hero to play takes 3-4 minutes on the console (via reddit). Therefore, it would be desirable to halve these times.
The balance will be interesting here. PS5 and Xbox Series X / S players will play with improved visuals and higher fps alongside those still on PS4 and Xbox One. Especially in PvP, unfair advantages such as more damage should not occur.
More things to know about ESO Blackwood:
- I’m tired of lousy stories in MMORPGs; I hope more from ESO Blackwood
- ESO: all about the new Blackwood expansion and 2021 content
- After ESO Blackwood announced: That’s why some fans still lack enthusiasm
How does it look? The developer had already posted a video on the graphics update to illustrate the improvements. You can check it here:
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That’s why the update could be important
ESO has performance issues, especially on consoles. The developers have been working on this problem for a long time. The revision of the Champion Points system has already led to slight improvements. But especially the “Console Enhanced” version could score points in terms of performance and make the MMORPG playable on at least PS5 and Xbox Series X / S. 60fps is a team announcement. Of course, it remains to be seen whether this can also be achieved. We will see it on June 8.
What does the community say about the improvements? The ESO “Console Enhanced” version trailer is well received. We summarize some of the player voices here:
- Robert Walsh says (via Youtube): “Does it work at 60fps? That’s the only thing that matters to me. “
- Revo writes (via Youtube): “This is wonderful. I can not wait more.”
- Stone Legion – Let’s Play explains (via Youtube): “That’s great and I’m already having a lot of fun with ESO.”
- SSG_Ronnie is disappointed with one thing (via Youtube): “So no ray tracing update? I hope it improves the graphics even more. “
Zenimax Online would like to reveal even more about this before the release of the “Enhanced Console” update for ESO. Because there should be a performance and quality mode. We will find out exactly what the differences are in the coming weeks.
